Return to District 12
by aleishathefangirl
Summary: Gale returns to district 12 to a big surprise... Set after Mockingjay


Gale wasn't 'kissing another pair of lips' in District 2 as Katniss had thought. He was waiting for her, just as he had been since he was fourteen years old. But two years later, when she still hadn't come to District 2, Gale returned home, to District 12, where the whole district had been rebuilt, was back on its feet, and looking better than ever. Walking towards Katniss' home in the Victor's Village, he bumped into Haymitch, who was unusually sober. They greeted each other as old friends, and shook hands. Gale asked if he had seen Katniss. Haymitch told him that she was still in the hospital. A look of fear in his eyes, Gale pushed past Haymitch, and sprinted to the newly built hospital. Throwing the glass doors open, he walked to the reception desk, a thin layer of sweat sheening on his forehead.  
"Katniss Everdeen?" he asked the receptionist.  
"Who are you?" she enquired.  
"Gale Hawthorne. Her… cousin." He replied. Recognizing him from the weeks he had spent pretending to be Katniss' cousin in interviews (the act being enforced by the Capitol, and the interviews being broadcast on national television), she believed him, and nodded.  
"Ward twelve" she told him.  
"Thanks." She nodded at him again, and he ran off to find ward twelve.

Pushing back a powder blue curtain, Gale looked into the eyes of his beloved Katniss for the first time in over two years.  
"Katniss" he sighed. He bent over to kiss her on the cheek, and she reached up from where she was sat in her hospital bed, her knees tucked under her chin, and pulled him into a long hug. He thought he'd never let go, he'd missed her so much. Just then the curtain was pulled back again, and Gale heard 'Hey, Gale'. He let go off Katniss, and turned around… to see Peeta. Peeta Mellark. The baker's boy, almost unchanged from the weeks nearly four years ago, when he'd watched him kiss the girl he loved on national television, in the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Not that they were annual anymore. They'd been destroyed, along with President Snow, and the rest of the Capitol government. But Peeta and Katniss had been the tributes for District 12 for both the 74th and 75th Games. Gale couldn't help but be captured by the thoughts that always took him when he thought of Peeta; that if Gale had volunteered to take Peeta's place, possibly _saved_ him, then _he, _Gale Hawthorne, the boy who would always love Katniss unconditionally, would have been receiving the kisses, the hugs, the time, the love, and everything else that had come with it. Not that they were 'in love' anymore. On Katniss' side, it had all been an act for the cameras. On Peeta's side? Not so much. And once she had told him that he didn't love him, that it had all been a lie, their relationship had disintegrated, the only time they had ever faked one was, yet again, for the cameras. Which begged the question… why was he here?

It was then that Gale registered the kicking baby cradled in Peeta's arms. Passing the baby, wrapped in its baby pink blanket, to Katniss, Peeta shook Gale's hand. Gale almost stepped back in shock and fear, but cautiously accepted it, with a slightly worried look in his eyes. Who could blame him? Last time the two had met, Peeta had been a psychopath, hijacked by the Capitol.

Peeta laughed.  
"Don't worry" he assured Gale. "I'm cured." Unsure of what to say, Gale just replied  
"Oh." Turning to the bed again, he bent down so he was level with the baby wrapped in Katniss' arms, and asked  
"Who's this then?"  
"Prim" replied Katniss.  
"Huh?"  
"Primrose Gale Mellark." Gale didn't even register the girl's first name and middle name. He only took in her surname.  
"Mellark?"  
"Well, the baby is supposed to take the father's surname…" Shock, hurt, and anger washed over Gale. So they'd rebuilt their relationship. And had a baby together? It was hell to him. Close to tears, Gale said  
"Oh." It wasn't like Gale to be lost for words. Peeta knew this, and stepped beside him, taking Katniss' hand in his. He began to explain the baby's name.  
"Primrose… for Prim. You know about that, don't you?" seeing tears form in Katniss' eyes, Gale replied  
"Yes… I'm so sorry. She was like my sister as well. I can't believe it…" Sensing that both Katniss and Gale were about to burst into tears, Peeta continued, with a squeeze of Katniss' hand.  
"Well… then Mellark for… us."  
"You two are _married!?" _  
"Yes… we tried to contact you in District 2 to tell you but… we had no way of doing it." Peeta was mistaking Gale's hurt for shock. But Katniss, having known Gale since she was twelve, recognized the hurt in his eyes. Looking at him properly for the first time since he had arrived, she said  
"And Gale. For you."  
"Thank you." He replied, again, unsure of what else to say.  
"I've missed you so much!" she admitted, pulling him into another hug.  
"I've missed you too, Catnip" he mumbled into her shoulder, stroking her long brunette hair.  
"Gale?" she asked, pulling away, looking into his Seam grey eyes that so much resembled hers.  
"Yes?" he answered, not knowing what to expect.  
"Will you… will you be her godfather? Prim's?"  
"It would mean a lot to us" interjected Peeta. Gale looked at both of them watching him, anxious for his answer.  
"Of course I will" he smiled. Katniss was close to tears, and Peeta clapped him on the back.  
"So, it's Mrs Katniss Mellark, I presume?" Gale said with a fake smile.  
"Shut up Gale!" she replied, embarrassed, but teasing him at the same time. Gale laughed.  
"Can I hold her? Prim, I mean."  
The baby looked closely at him, and Katniss passed her to him. Both Katniss and Peeta watched as he looked into the baby's pale blue eyes.  
It was Peeta and Katniss' baby. He'd lost Katniss to the baker's boy, which would be enough to make him want to cry for the rest of his life. But somehow, looking into Primrose's eyes, he started to think about how much Katniss had lost in the rebellion. About how Peeta had been there, when he hadn't. About how both of them were almost on their own now. About how much they needed each other. It was then that he decided. Even only if it was for Primrose's sake…  
He vowed never to leave District Twelve again.


End file.
